Packington Village History Group PVHG
Recording our yesterdays for today and tomorrow
At Venue 35 – the Memorial Hall Meeting Room – on Tuesday 30th April 2019 at 7:30 pm
Present: Chairman Robin Boucher and 9 members:
Apologies received from Sue Brown.
Minutes of the previous meeting were approved and signed.
Robin welcomed our 2 new members: Pam Worthington and Marion Wright.
Continue reading “Minutes of our PVHG April 2019 Meeting”At Venue 35 – the Memorial Hall Meeting Room – on Tuesday 26th March 2019 at 7:30 pm
Present: Chairman Robin Boucher, 8 members, one new member
The main item of the evening was how best to record the continual changes in the village. A drone could take aerial photographs periodically, but might be too expensive. Sue suggested the National Monuments Record at Swindon may already have aerial photos of Packington, and will investigate. The Historic England Archive apparently has 4 million aerial photographs, of which 95,000 are available online at Britain From Above
Adrian proposed that a photo be taken of every house for sale in the village as new occupants invariably change the property. Members agreed photographs of each street be taken and recorded; David agreed to co-ordinate the placing of photos on the website and the following members agreed to be responsible for recording their street:-
The meeting closed at 9.10pm
The next meeting is Tuesday, 30th April at 7.30pm
Present: Chairman Robin and 9 members
No apologies were received.
Robin welcomed our speaker for the evening, Mrs. Paula Dring.
Paula spoke on the life and work of Reverend Joseph Goadby, who was the Baptist Minister in Packington until his death in 1842, and who is buried in her garden.
Part of the garden is the former Baptist Chapel graveyard, near to the site of the old Baptist church building which was eventually demolished in the 20th Century.
Using a nice slide projection, PVHG members were given details of the development of the Baptists in the area, and how Reverend Goadby had dramatically increased their population and become very much loved and respected.
Paula was thanked by all present for a very interesting talk.
Next, the minutes of the January meeting were approved and signed.
Robin reported he had received correspondence from Wendy Freer of Pudding Bag Productions, who has now completed 90% of the script for the film of Rev Pestell. Wendy said Carol Price, the head of Packington Primary School, is keen for the children to take part. Wendy has also employed a flute player and actor.
The 25th June 2019 High Street walk is now looking good. Robin has progressed with his script, and also has a number of pictures forq display in Venue 35, the Memorial Hall Meeting Room, to complement the walk.
Another session of sorting the archives has been arranged for Tuesday 12th March from 10am to noon, all members are invited to attend.
Recording of the Packington Parish boundaries and any changes within the village, are to be discussed at our Tuesday 26th March meeting. Robin will place an article in the Packington Post asking if any village residents wish to take part.
The meeting closed at 9.10pm.
At Venue 35 – the Memorial Hall Meeting Room – on Tuesday 29th January 2019 at 7:30 pm
Present: Chairman Robin Boucher and 6 members.
Apologies received from:- Diane and Doug
Minutes of the previous AGM meeting in January 2018 were read, approved and signed. There were no matters arising.
“After the difficult year of 2017 the Group has had a more positive 2018. New members have joined and made valued contributions. Activities have included:
The Group now has its own website at pvhg.uk
Firmer links have been made with the Packington Post, resulting in regular publicity for the Group’s activities.
However, the Group still faces a number of issues at the start of 2019. There is still a need to attract new members, particularly from younger residents of the village. This has implications for the kind of activities which the Group may plan. Development of the archive will continue to be a major focus, requiring a positive relationship with other parties such as the Memorial Hall Committee and also pursuit of financial support.
I would like to thank all members for their support to the Group over the past year. My particular thanks go to Robert for his help with information technology and for volunteering to represent the Group on the Memorial Hall Committee; and to Yvonne for her secretarial work and her reliable and steady support to me as Chair. “
A copy of the income and expenditure throughout 2018 was circulated. The present balance shown in the building society account is now still positive following the purchase of the archive cupboard. Members were pleased the archives will be in easy reach and available to any key holding members at any reasonable time after co-ordination with the Hall bookings clerk. Adrian pointed out that this may need to be checked before our next meeting in case the buildings insurance policy be invalidated. Members agreed that the Group needs to apply to the Parish Council Solar Fund for a grant to help with the cost of specialised archiving boxes and materials etc.
Chairman: Robin Boucher, proposed by Robert and seconded by Adrian – carried.
Vice-chair: no takers, this position to be left in abeyance for 2019
Secretary/treasurer: Yvonne Eaton, proposed by Adrian, seconded by Sue – carried.
Committee; Robin, Yvonne, Diane, David and Robert.
Setting of membership fees for 2019; these to stay as 2018. £10 per single member and £15 per couple. Members agreed any new member joining later in the year to be at a reduced rate and if that is September or beyond £10 to be charged to include 2020. Proposed meeting dates for 2019 to be the last Tuesday of each month omitting July, August, November and December.
Members thanked Robin and Yvonne for their work throughout 2018. The AGM meeting closed, and was followed by an ordinary meeting.
Robin reminded members that Paula Dring will be our speaker for the February meeting, on the subject of Joseph Goadby who brought the Baptist Chapel to Packington in the early nineteenth century.
Robin also reported he had been in touch with Wendy Freer of Pudding Bag Productions following her visit in November. She has approached the school, church, and Guild Hall Leicester, who are happy to be involved. Wendy has also applied for a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and is hopeful the film of the Pestells will be completed this year. Robin suggested she be asked to come to a meeting later this year to update her progress.
Members agreed a history walk be included in our year’s programme, Robin is already working on a High Street walk, having found Peter’s notes and archive material. The walk to include an exhibition of photographs etc of the High Street in the Venue 35 meeting room. Sue is willing to provide display stands. The proposed date for the walk is Tuesday, 25th June 2019.
Sue is willing to give a talk on Medieval Packington at our October meeting. Members felt it important to note any changes within the village and parish boundary. There was discussion as to how this can be best achieved. Adrian proposed OS maps be obtained and boundaries compared to the Estate map, however this to be put on hold as Sue will bring her maps to the March meeting when decisions can be made on how to proceed.
The archive material can now all be moved to the meeting room and members can then proceed with the thinning process. To this end members to meet on Monday 11th February at 10am to noon to make a start. The meeting closed at 9.20pm
The next meeting is arranged for Tuesday, 26th February at 7.30pm.
held in Venue 35 – the Memorial Hall Meeting Room – on Tuesday 30th October 2018 at 7:30 pm
Present: Chairman Robin Boucher and 7 members.
Apologies received from:- Diane and Doug
Minutes of the previous meeting were approved and signed.
It is hoped the February 2019 meeting will be agreeable to her.held in Venue 35 – the Memorial Hall Meeting Room – on Tuesday 25th September 2018 at 7:30 pm
Present: Chairman Robin Boucher, 6 members. and guest Terry Hammond
Apologies received from:- Diane, Doug, and Nev.
Minutes of the previous meeting were approved and signed.
Robin welcomed Terry Hammond who brought the meeting up to date with the World War 1 commemoration events in November:
Robin reported he had organised the replacement Packington display poster for the museum and had succeeded in obtaining a grant from the Packington Parish Council for this purpose. Thanks were expressed by members for this. The new poster is now on display at the museum. The question of what should happen to the old poster which was brought from the museum, was discussed and it was decided to keep the top portion of photographs which would be added to the archives.
Members who had taken archive boxes over the summer for thinning reported their progress, Sue had achieved almost 50% as newspaper reports were hand written as well as typed, this being just one example of unnecessary archive space being used. There was much discussion regarding what should be kept and what constituted genuine historical information to be kept.
Robert suggested approaching the memorial hall committee requesting space in the meeting room for the group to use at any reasonable time, but it was pointed out that the trust had to adhere to rules laid down and therefore this request was unlikely to be granted. As playgroup are no longer using the memorial hall, storage space is now available, members felt the memorial hall committee should be approached asking if the history group could place their archives in such a space.
It was therefore proposed a representative of the history group be on the memorial hall committee. Robert was proposed by Stephen and seconded by David, passed unanimously and agreed to be our representative. Future meetings were discussed and Robert suggested an invitation be sent to Paula Dring to speak on her research of the first Packington Baptist Minister. This was agreed.
Robin had received a letter from Wendy Frear who was requesting help from the history group and Robin will reply, inviting her to speak at our November meeting.
The village is slowly changing, population and buildings, therefore photographic evidence for the archives is essential showing these changes and it is hoped Richard Jones would be willing to take the necessary photographs.
The meeting closed at 9.30. The next meeting is on Tuesday 30th October, 2018 at 7.30pm
held in Venue 35 – the Memorial Hall Meeting Room – on Tuesday 26th June 2018 at 7:30 pm
Present: Chairman Robin Boucher and 5 members.
Apologies received from:- Robert and Nev.
Robin welcomed Terry Hammond, who gave a report on the latest arrangements for the commemoration of World War 1. The funding is in place for the weekend’s events, and guests for the Saturday evening event are asked to be in dress of the age. The 3 actors for the evening’s entertainment have been appointed, however 2 mid-to-late teens actors are required – any volunteers? Chris Miles is co-ordinating the Sunday’s events. The school and youth club are involved as well as other village organisations.
Robin had prepared a short history of Charles Walter Henson, details being taken from an oral history, and this he read to members. Walter Henson was a First World War soldier and a well known and respected Packington resident. Members agreed this to be part of the commemoration exhibition together with photographs of Mr. Henson.
Terry left and the meeting continued with discussion on the storage of the archive material. Following our May visit to the Ashby Museum, members agreed it was important to store all the material in purpose-made boxes, as it is vital the paper copy is kept as well as digitised storage. Robin had details of Spectrum 5 and members agreed this was expensive, but possibly to be considered in the future.
Members agreed the archive should be kept in Packington, and as the Memorial Hall have applied for planning permission for additional storage, it is hoped space can be found for the History Group to have a locked cabinet there. Access would be for members, and the general public accompanied by a group member. Records should only be kept at Ashby Museum as a last resort. Adrian proposed that the history group be represented on the Memorial Hall committee, this was agreed and a representative to be appointed at our September meeting. Members agreed that boxes similar to those at the Ashby Museum should be purchased for all our archive material, grants are available and Yvonne agreed to look into where and how the group can access these.
Robin had been in touch with Ken Hillier with regard to the Packington display poster at the museum to establish the company who originally printed the poster. Alterations are now required as some of the information is no longer correct, and the group needs to know costs for the alterations. Members went through the list to make the necessary alterations.
The minutes of the April meeting were duly signed and the meeting closed at 9.25pm.
The next meeting is on 25th September, 2018 at 7.30pm.
held in Venue 35 – the Memorial Hall Meeting Room on Tuesday 24thApril 2018 at 7:30 pm
Present: Chairman Robin Boucher, and 11 members
Apologies received from: Paula, Stephen, Jonathan, Jan and Diane.
Matters arising: Robin reported he had passed on 4 photos of WW1 soldiers associated with Packington to Terry Hammond
Robert gave a resume of the Archive Assessment meeting of the disseminators at Yvonnes on the 17th April when they discovered the full extent of the archive held, unfortunately Sarah was at work and unable to attend, but emailed points for discussion which were aired.
The same points were brought up for discussion by members, these being the pros and cons of the present indexing of the archives and the need for them to be digitised. How this can be achieved was the biggest question – scanning each item was suggested. As the text archive material indexed had been taken to the meeting, members were able to take the opportunity to look at some boxes before we had further discussion.
Following time spent looking through some of the material it was felt scanning each item was going to be a major task especially as there is more archive material still to be indexed. The matter of bringing in members of the Packington community who were willing and able to help in the scanning process was also discussed and including a small historical piece in the Packington Post. No decision has been made.
The first step is the scanning of one box of text, and Sarah very kindly offered to take the box relating to items from 1598 to 1894 to do a trial run. The question of costs therefore arose and it was important to make a note of the time taken and any expenses. Cassette tapes are also held in the archive and it is important that these be digitised, this to be looked into.
The Leicestershire Guides are celebrating 75 years and Sarah told the meeting the Packington group are anxious to find out what Packington was like in 1943. Yvonne agreed to look out Peter’s High Street walk which should have sufficient information for the Guides to be able to describe Packington in that era.
The meeting closed at 9.25pm.
The next meeting is Tuesday, 22nd May at Ashby Museum at 7.15pm for 7.30pm.
MINUTES of the March 2018 MEETING of PACKINGTON VILLAGE HISTORY GROUP PVHG
held in Venue 35 – the Memorial Hall Meeting Room on Tuesday 27th March at 7:30pm
Present: Chairman Robin Boucher and 10 members. Apologies were received from Jonathan and Jan
Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed and signed.
Robin welcomed our guest, Terry Hammond, and invited Terry to describe the proposed commemorations celebrating the ending of World War 1, which will take place in Packington on 9th 10th and 11th November.
Terry is a member of the Memorial Hall Committee, and agreed to explore the possibility of holding an “Old Time Musical”; he hopes to bring in many village groups to take part in various events, one group being the Film Club with the possibility of a film being shown on the Friday evening. There will be a Sunday service in church in the morning of the 11th and in the afternoon childrens’ entertainment.
Members were all in favour of helping, by way of a display in Memorial Hall of what life was like in 1918, and also by having someone read extracts of wartime experiences of servicemen who were village residents.
The meeting continued after Terry left, with many ideas from members, all of which to be finalised at a later date.
The Disseminators have yet to meet. They are to gather at Yvonne’s to see what documents are in the archives, following which, items are to be taken to the meeting on 24th April.
Robert encouraged members to look at this PVHG website.
The meeting closed at 9.30pm
The next meeting is on Tuesday, 24th April at 7.30pm in Venue 35, with the main item being the future of the Group’s archive, building on discussions of the dissemination group.